Machine for opening cans



May 29, 11923.

P. C. WEST MACHINE FOR OP ENING CANS Filed Jan. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 29, 11923. 11,456,525

' P. C. WEST MACHINE FOR OPENING CANS Filed Jan. 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as, ,1 /i

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Fatented May 29, 1192?.

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PRESTON O. WEST, OF HAMILTON, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO P. C. WEST MFG. CO. INC, OF CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR OPENING CANS.

Application filed January 6, 1922. Serial No. 527,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PRESTON C. VVEST, a subject of the King of Great Britain, re: siding at Hamilton, in the county of Ravalli and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening Cans, of which the following is a specification. A

My invention relates to machines for opening cans and more particularly to a machine having a cutting element adapted to engage the can while the can is rotated.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 474,985, filed June-4, 1921.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a machine of simple construction, convenient and easy to operate and which is provided with a cutting device so supported that it willv automatically be maintained in cutting position adjacent to and substantially coincident with the perimeter of the can as the can is rotated, whether the can be of cylindrical, oval or rectangular conformation.

In its preferred form my invention contemplates the provision of a horizontally extending arm mounted so it may freely swing in ahorizontal plane and in the outer end of which is mounted the cutting device, the latter having capacity for oscillatory movement about a vertical axis relative to the arm, whereby the cutting device may readily follow the perimeter of a can, and turn relatively sharp corners if need be, as the can is rotated; and a further object of my invention is the provision of means whereby said arm may readily be adjusted vertically, thereby accommodating the cutting device to cans of various heights, and to this end a vertically extending post is preferably provided which is journaled on a suitable support and; to which the inner end of said arm is adjustably locked.

Preferably a slide or a carriage is mounted on said vertically extending post to which the inner end of the horizontally extending knifesupporting arm is attached; and a further object of my invention is the provision of means, preferably operable by a single control member, whereby said slide or carriage may be positively locked at the desired height to said post and then the cutting device forced downwardly to penetrate the can top and to bring it into its operative position.

The means for locking the slide to the post and for bringing the cutting device into operative relation with the can preferably includes a lever pivoted at its inner end to the slide and provided with an eccentric portion adapted to engage the post; and a further object of my invention is the provision of a toggle arrangement connected to said lever and the arm supporting the cut-,

ting device which is of such construction that when the cutting device is moved into its operative position it is automatically locked and maintained in said position while the can is being rotated and until it is intentionally released.

The cutting device preferably comprises a knife adapted to penetrate the can top and a member provided with a vertically disposed surface adapted to bear against the outer side of the can and to which the knife is secured, said member having a shank j'ournaled in the outer end of the horizontally extending arm so that the cutting device may oscillate about the axis of said shank relative to said arm; and a further object of my invention is to mount the knife on said member in such a manner that it is subjected to considerable side draft and tends to turn in towards the center of the can during the cutting operation whereby the knife readily turns relatively sharp corners, for example, such as are found on the ordinary sardine cans of rectangular shape, and to this end preferably said vertical surface is disposed substantially in alignment with the axis of said shank and the knife is offset inwardly on 'said member toward the center of the can sufficiently to permit the can rims to slip easily between the knife and said surface.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cutting device so constructed and supported during the cutting operation that the narrow perimetrical strip of tin remaining in the can top will automatically be turned down and pressed flatly against the. sides of the can so that no obstruction will remain to interfere with the easy removal of the contents of the can.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cutting device so constructed and supported during the cutting operation that the can top will be automatically tilted or raised just prior to being completely severed from the can so that the operator may easily take hold of the top and prevent it from dropping down into the can and polluting the contents thereof.

A further'object of the invention is the provision of a novel form of chuck means automatically operable by a single power member for gripping and rotating the can; and to this end the invention preferably contemplates providing a pair of rotatable mem-. bers one of which has a number of radially extending guideways and the other having a corresponding number of arcuate or c rcular guideways, gripping \jaws being disposed in the guideways of said respective members and automatically operating means being provided whereby one of said members is held against relativerotative movement while the other member is rotated to bring thejaws into gripping engagement with the can and then to rotate both of said members and the can simultaneously.

The invention preferably contemplates also an upright fixed support which carries the cutting device and a horizontally extending bracket for supporting the rotatable can chuck; and a further object of the invention is the provision of -means whereby said bracket may be readily attached to or detached from said support so that in the event any of the contents of a can should splash over onto the can chuck or bracket, the chuck and bracket may be easily removed and cleaned.

The invention consists in the novel constructions, arrangements. and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description of certain preferred emembodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a machine embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine, partly in elevation and partly in section; I

Fig. 3 is a plan view, 'on an enlarged scale, of the chuck for gripping and rotating the cans, certain parts thereof being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the jaws of the can chuck;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the means for positioning and locking the cutting device in operative engagement with a can;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig.- 2;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the preferred form of cuttin knife; and

Big. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 1111 of 10.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

The operating parts of the machine are preferably mounted ona two-part L-shaped structure comprising a'vertically extending upright support 15, adapted to be secured to a wall 16, or the like, by any suitable means, for example, by a plurality of screws 17, and a horizontally extending bracket 18 readily detachably connected to the support 15; and to this end the support 15 is preferably provided with a stirrup 19 and a pair of spaced forwardly extending bosses 20 (see Figs. 5 and 6) which carry threaded studs 21, respectively, and the member 18 is provided with a downwardly extending leg 22, the foot of which is adapted to slip into the stirrup 19 and the upper end of which is provided at each side with a laterally extending lug 23 notched as at 24 so that said lugs may readily slip over' the respective bosses 20 and studs 21. Each stud is preferably provided with a wing nut 25 which may be readily turned to secure the bracket 18'firmly to the support 15.

The means for gripping and rotating the cans is mounted upon the bracket 18. The bracket 18 is provided with a bore 26 and a substantially horizontal bearing surface 27. A. rotatable spider 28 is adapted to rest upon the surface 27 and is provided with a hub 29 which extends downwardly through the bore 26, the lower end thereof being externally screw threadedj A not 30 having a relatively large bearingsurface 31 is threaded on the hub 29, a washer 32 of fiber or any other suitable material, preferably being interposed between the surface 31 of the nut and the under side of the bracket 18. The nut 30 is secured on the hub 29 against relative movement by a lock nut 33. A plate 34 is superposed on the spider 28 andis integrally formed with, or rigidly secured to, a shaft 35 which extends downwardly through the hub 29, the lower end ofsaid shaft being threaded for a nut 36 which may be castellated and held.

against relative rotative movement by a cotter pin 37. The spider 28 is provided with a plurality ofradially extending arms 38 each of which is formed with a similarly extending guideway 39. The plate 34 is provided with a plurality of arcuate or circular guideways or slots 40, there being as many of these guideways or slots as there are guideways 39 provided on the spider 28. L-shaped gripping jaws 41 (see Fig. 4) are disposed in the respective guideways 39 and 40, the horizontal or base portion 41 of said jaws freely sliding in the guideways 39 and the upright neck portion 41 thereof extending upwardly through and freely sliding in the guideways or slots 40. It will be apparent that any relative rotative movement of the spider 28 and the plate.

34 will result in the jaws being moved toward or away from the center of these members, according to the direction of ro tation. The can engaging surface 42 of the respective jaws may be formed with vertically extending corrugations to provide a reliable gripping surface. The plate 34 is provided with a depending flange 43 which is formed with an internal gear 44. A stub shaft 45 is journaled in a bearing formed in the outer end of the bracket 18, said shaft carrying a pinion 46 in mesh with the gear 44, rotative movement being imparted to said shaft by a crank 47.

The support 15 is provided with a pair of forwardly extending brackets 48 in which is journa-led a vertically extending post 49. The means for supporting the cutting device is adjustably mounted on the post '49 and includes a slide or carriage 50 which may be formed of sheet metal and bent in the form of a U so as to provide a pair of spaced arms 50. The inner end of a lever 51 is pivoted, between the arms 50 of the slide, on a pin 5%, said lever being provlded with an eccentric or cam portion 53 adapted to take a reliable grip on the post 49 when the outer end of the lever 51 is swung upwardly. Downward movement of the lever is limited by a stop 54. The inner end of a horizontally extending arm 55 is pivoted, between the arms 50 of the slide, on a pin 56. Swinging movement of the arm 55 relative to the slide may be limited, for example, by a pin 56 carried by the arms 50 of the slide and extending through a slot 57 formed in the arm 55, or if desired. upward movement of the arm 55 may be limited by a pin 58 and said arm may be formed with a heel portion 59 adapted to bear against the post 49 to limit downward movement of the arm.

The outer ends of the lever 51 and the arm 55 are preferably connected by a toggle arrangen'ient consisting of links 60, pivoted at their lower ends to the arm 55, and an operating handle 61 provided with a cross member 62 the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the upper ends of the links and the upper end of which is pivotally connected to the outer end of the lever 51.

The cutting device is swivelled in a bearing 63 provided in the outer end of the arm 55 and comprises a cutting element or knife 64 which is secured to a supporting member 65. The member 65 is provided with a shank 66 which extends upwardly through the hearing 63, being screw threaded and held in place by a wing nut 67. The member 65 is provided with a vertically disposed bearing surface 68 and a horizontally disposed bearing surface 69, the surface 68 being substantially in alignment with the axis of the shank 66. The member 65 is also provided with a vertically disposed bearing surface 70 and a horizontally disposed bearing surface 71, the surface 70 being offset on the inner side of the member 65, that is to say, towards the center of the can. A pin 72 projects laterally from the surface 70 over which th knife is disposed, said knife being secured to the member 65 by a screw 73, the knif 64 preferably being made so that its top edge engages the surface '71 of the member 65 which aids in supporting the knife. The cutting edge 74 of the knife extends obliquely backwardly and downwardly, see Fig. 10, said edge preferably also being bevelled as at 75, see Figs. 9, 10' and 11. The heel 76 of the knife is substantially vertical and that portion of the knife be tween the lower end of the heel portion and the point may be curled inwardly as at 77 to aid vin lifting the can top, as will be presently described. The lower end of the member 65 extends a considerable distance below the point of the knife, see Fig. 8, which aids in positioning the knife on the can top. In order to maintain the cutting device so it will be ready to engage the can a spring 78 carried by the arm 55 and adapted to bear against the flat surface 79 of the member 65 may be employed, said spring serving to maintain the member 65 so that its surface 68 and the knife are substantially parallel with the arm 55.

0pemt2'0n.Assuming the jaws 41 are in non-engaging position, a can to be opened is placed upon the plate 34 of the chuck between said jaws and the crank 47 is turned. The spider 28 being normaliy frictionally held against rotative movement, it will be obvious, when the plate 34 is rotated in the proper direction relative to the spider 28, that the jaws will move inwardly because of the radial guideways and the arcuate slots in which they are mounted. As soon as the jaws are brought into firm gripping engagement with the can, further turning the crank will result in the can, plate 34 and spider 28 all being rotated simultaneously,

The handle 61 of the locking device is then raised to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.7, and, since upward movement of the arm is limited. the lever 51 will be pulled into its dotted line position whereby the device may be readily adjusted vertically on the post 49, and, also be swung laterally to bring the lower portion of the surface 68 of the member 65 into engagement with the outer side of the upper rim or head of the can, the point of the knife resting upon the upper surface of the can top inside the can rim. The outer end of the arm 55 is momentarily held against downward movement by reason of the resistance offered by the can top to the point of the knife, consequently, as the handle 61 is moved downwardly, the lever 51 is pushed back into its full line position which brings the eccentric or cam portion 53 thereof into binding locking engagement with the post 49. Since backward movement of the lever 51 is thus checked, any further downward movement of the handle 61 will result in the outer end of the arm 55 being pushed downwardly, the knife penetrating the can top. The pin 56. or the heel 59 of the arm 55 abutting against the post 49, limits downin toward the center of the can.

ward movement of the outer end of the arm and the parts are so arranged that the outer ends of the arm and the lever 51 must be sprung apart slightly to bring the links and 62 past center into their full line position, consequently, when the parts are in their respective full line positions, the slide 50 is eflectively locked to the post 49, the parts also being so arranged that the horizontal surface 69 of the member 65 bears firmly on top of the upper rim or head of the can thereby aiding the chuck to hold the can securely. I

The crank 47 is then turned and the can rotated against the cutting edge 74 of the knife. The arm 55 being free to swing in a horizontal plane and the member 65 being journaled in the outer end of the arm 55', the member 65 and the knife readily follow the rim of the canbeing at all times substantially coincident with the perimeter of the can; It will be noted from the drawings that the effective length of the arm 55 is considerably greater than the distance between its pivot, that is to say, the "axis of the post 49, and the perimeter of the can; in fact, the effective length of the arm is preferably -made substantially equal to the distance between the axis of the post 49 and the center about which the can is rotated. The cutting device, therefore, is at all times tangentially disposed when in operative engagement with a cylindrical can and it is in the most favorable cutting position when in operative engagement with a square or rectangular can. The knife being offset on the member 65 toward the center of the can and relative to the axis about which said member rotates, it will be obvious, that the knife is subjected to a" very considerable side draft during the cutting operation, that is to say, the knife tends to lag relatively to the arm '55 and to turn This feature of the invention in combination with the arm 55 being freely swingable at all times in a horizontal plane enables the ma chine to cut the tops out of cans, rectangular or oval, in fact any irregular shaped can, just as easily as it will cut the tops out of cylindrical cans. The bevelled surface 7 5 provided on the cutting edge of the knife further increases the tendency of the cutting edge of the knife to turn away from the inner side of the can rim which is particularly desirable when the cutting device is operating upon cans like the ordinary sardine cans, for example, which have relatively sharp corners.

A suflicient space is provided between the surface 68 of the member 65 and the adjacent side of the knife to permit the cutting device to ride the rim of the can easily without any binding action. The obliquely backwardly and downwardly extending cutting edge 74 of the knife partially rolls or turns down the inner edge of the narrow perimetrical strip of tin left in the can. The knife is of such width at the cutting plane, which is substantially the plane as indicated by the section line 11-11 of Fig. 10, that the heel portion 76, due to the side draft to which the knife is subjected as described, completes the turning down of the perimetrical strip of tin left in the can, said strip being pressed flatly against the inner side of the can, there being no shoulders of any kind remaining to obstruct the removal of the contents of the can. As the can is rotated against the obliquely inclined cutting edge 74 of the knife, the tendency is for that portion of the can top immediately in front of the cutting edge of the knife to be forced downwardly. It will be obvious, therefore, as the can is rotated, and the knife approaches its point of entry into the can top, that the can top just before being completely severed from the can will be tilted upwardly on the narrow neck of tin connecting it with the can sufficiently to permit the operator to take hold of it easily and prevent it from dro ping down into the can, after being compfbtely severed, and polluting the contents thereof. If desired, the inwardly curled" portion 77 of the knife may be provided which further aids in tilting or lifting the can top just prior to it being completely severed from the can.

Afterthe can top has been cut out and removed, the handle 61'of the locking device is again raised into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and as downward movement of the lever 51 is limited by pin 54, the outer end of the arm 55 is readily pulled upwardly to withdraw the knife: and since the eccentric or cam portion 53 of the lever 51 no longer binds against the post 49, thelocking device as a unit may be easily lifted upwardly clear of the can and locked in said position by moving the handle 61 downwardly. The crank 47 is then turned in the opposite direction which results in the plate 34 being turned backwardly relative to the spider 28, said spider at this time being frictionally held against rotative movement,

loo

ti l) and the jaws d1 move outwardly away from the can.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will he noted that the guideways or slots 40 are circular, the radius thereof being approximately equal to one-half the radius of the can Supporting plate 34:, and it Will further be noted that the respective points from which said guideways are struck fall on radial lines extending substantially at right angles to each other. The guideways it) are so shaped and are so positioned relative to the radial ideways 39, that a constant inward radia component of thrust on the jaws against the can is obtained, regardless of the size of the can. The resistance tending to check rotative movement of the spider with the plate is the same for any size of can and is made sufficient to insure overcoming the resistance offered by the can top to the cutting edge of the knife.

llf any of the contents of the can should splash over the wing nuts 25 may be loosened and thereupon the bracket 18 may be readily detached from the support 15 and the can chuck and bracket 18 may then be easily washed by holding them under a stream of water. By removing the wing nut 67, the member 65 may be readily removed from the arm 55 and the knife washed.

I do not intend to limit m invention to the details of construction s own and described, except only in so far as certain of the appended claims are specifically so limited, as it will be obvious that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A; machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, automatic supporting means, and cutting means carried by said supporting means, one or aid first and third named means being au omatically held in a plane substantially parallel with the ends of the can but movable laterally in said plane during the cutting operation.

2. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, automatic sup orting means, and a cutter carried by said? supporting means, said outter being automatically held in a plane substantially parallel with the top of the can but movable laterally in said plane during the cutting operation.

3. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, automaticsu porting means, and cutting means carried by said supporting means, one of said first and third named means being automatically held to oscillate in a plane substantiall parallel with the ends of the can. during in e cutting operation.

Afmachine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, auto matic supporting means, and a cutter carried by said SUPPOItHl means, said cutter being automatically held to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the top of the can while the can is being rotated.

5. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, automatic supporting means, and a cutter carried by said supporting means, said cutter being automatically held in a plane substantially parallel with the top of the can but movable lateraly and oscillatably in said plane during the cutting operation.

6. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, pivoted means automatically held to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the top of the can, and acutter oscillatably carried by said pivoted means.

7. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, a cutter and automatic pivoted means for holding the cutter to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the top of the can during the cuttin operation, the effective length of said pivote means being substantially equal to the distance from its pivot to the axis about which the can is rotated.

, 8. A machine for opening cans comprising means for holding and rotating a can, a cutter and automatic pivoted meas for holding the cutter to oscillate in a plane substan-, tially parallel with the top of the can during the cutting operation, the eli'ective length of said pivoted means being substantially equal to the distance from its pivot to the axis about which the can is rotated, said cutter being oscillatable relatively to said pivoted means.

9. In a can opening machine, the combination or" a can support, a'cutter, an automatic cutter support, and means for fastening the cutter support to the can support, said cutter being automatically held by the cutter support to a plane substantially parallel with the ends of the can but movable laterally in said plane during the cutting operation.

' 10. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a cutter support, and a cam for gripping the cutter support to the can support, send cutter being held by the cutter support to a plane substantially parallel with the ends of the can but movable laterally in said plane during the cutting operation.

11. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a pivoted cutter support, and means for fastening the cutter support to the can support, said cutter support being automatically held to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the ends of the can during the cutting operation.

12. In a can openingmachine, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a pivoted tit cutter support, and a cam for gripping the cutter support to the can support, said cutter support being held to oscillate in a plan substantially parallel with the ends of th can during the cutting operation.

13. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a cutter support, and toggle operated means for fastening the cutter support to the can support.

14:. In a can opening machine, the comb1- nation of a cansupport, a cutter, a cutter support, a cam for gripping the cutter sup port to the can support, and a toggle for operating said cam.

15. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a pivoted cutter support, a cam attached to the cutter support for gripping it to the can support, and a toggle for operating said cam.

16. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a slide on said support, a member attached at its inner end to said slide, a cutter carried by said member, a cam lever attached to said slide for gripping it to the can support, and toggle means attached to said lever and said member.

17. In a can opening machine, the combination of a can support, a post journaled in said support, a slide on said post, a member attached at its inner end to said slide, a cutter carried by said member, a cam lever attached to said slide for gripping it to said post, and toggle means attached to said lever and said member.

18. In a can-opening machine, the combination of a can support, a post journaled in said support, a cutter, a cutter support slidable on said post, and means for gripping the cutter support to said post.

19. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a can' support, a cutter. a cutter support, and toggle operated means for fastening the cutter support to the can support and then forcing the cutter to penetra'te the can top.

20. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a can support, a cutter, a cutter support pivoted to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the top of a can, and means for gripping the cutter support to the can support and by the same movement subsequently forcing the cutter to penetrate the can top.

21. In a machine for cutting out the tops of cans having a perimetrical rim, the combinatlon of a can support, a cutting device including a cutter and a bearing surface,

supporting means for said cutting device,

means for gripping the cutting device supporting means to the can support and by the same movement subsequently forcing the cutter to penetrate the can topand to bring said surface in bearing engagement with the top of the can rim.

masses 22. In a can opener, the combination of a can support, a slide on said support, an arm pivoted at its inner end to said slide, means to limit swinging movement of said arm relative to said slide, a cutter carried by the arm, a cam lever pivoted at its inner end to said slide and engaging said support, and means for forcing the outer ends of said lever and arm apart, for the purpose specified.

23. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a can support, a slide on said support, an arm pivoted at its inner end to said slide, a cam lever pivoted at its inner end to said slide and engaging said support, means to limit swinging movement of said arm and said lever relative to said slide, and means for forcing the outer ends of said Ever and arm apart, for the purpose speci- 24. A can opener comprising means for holding a can, supporting means, one of said means being rotatable relatively to the other, a cutter pivoted eccentrically in the supporting means to provide for a lagging movement of the cutter relative to the supporting means during the cutting operation.

25. A can opener comprising means for holding a can, supporting means, one of said means being rotatable relatively to the other, and a cutter, one of said means being held to oscillate in a plane substantially parallel with the ends of the can, said cutter being pivoted eccentrically in said supporting means to provide for a lagging movement of the cutter during the cutting operation.

26. In a machine for opening cans the combination of a can support, a cutter support associated with said can support, a cutter journaled in said cutter support, and

means for normally maintaining said cutter in position ready to operatively engage the can.

27. In a can opening machine, the combination of means for holding a can, supporting means, one of said means being rotatable relatively to the other, and a knife pivoted eccentrically in the supporting means, the cutting edge of said knife extendin obliquely backwardly and downwardl an the heel of said knife extending su stantially vertically, for the purpose specified.

28. In a can opening machine, the combination of means for holding a can, sup porting means, one of said means being rotatable relatively to the other, and a knife pivoted eccentrically in the supporting means, the cutting edge of said knife being bevelled and sloping back toward the perimeter of the can, for the purpose specified.

29. In a can opening machine, the combination of means for holding a can, supporting means, one of said means being rotatable relatively to the other, and a knife carried by said supporting means, said knife messes having a portion curled inwardly toward the center of the can and also upwardly to lift the cut-out can top.

30.111 a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, a support, and a can clutch journaled on said support comprising means automatically operable to first grip the can and then by continued motion in the same direction to rotate the can against the cutter.

31. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, a support, a pairof rotatable members mounted on said support, a plurality of ripping jaws carried by said members, said members being so arranged that upon relative movement thereof in one direction said jaws are moved to grip the can and in the other direction said jaws are moved to release the can, driving means for said members to rotate the can against the cutter, and automatic releasing means for holding one of said members stationary.

32. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, a support, a pair of rotatable members mounted on said suport', a plurality of gripping jaws carried by said members, said members being so arranged that upon relative movement thereof in one direction said jaws are moved to grip the can and in the other direction said jaws are moved to release the can, driving means for said members to rotate the can against the cutter, and friction means for holding one of said members stationary, for thepurpose specified.

33. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, a support provided with a bearing,'two rotatable members, a plurality of gripping jaws carried by said members, said members being so arranged that .upon relative movement thereof in one direction said jaws are moved to rip the can and in the other direction sai jaws are moved to release the can, one of said members having a hub journaled in said bearing and the other of said mem-' bers having a shaft which is journaled in said hub, a nut on said hub, and driving means for said members to rotate the can against the cutter.

34. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, an apertured support provided with a bearing surface, two rotatable members, a plurality of gripping jaws carried by said vmembers,'said members being so arranged that upon relative movement thereof in one direction said jaws are moved to grip the can and in the other direction said jaws are moved to release the can, one of said members having an externally threaded hub extending through the aperture in said support, a'nut on said hub whereby said last mentioned member may be drawn into frictional engagement '-with said bearing surface, the other. of said members having a shaft which is journaled in said hub, and driving means for said members to rotate the can against the cutter.

35. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a cutter, a support, a pair of rotatable members mounted on said support, one of said members having a plurality of radial guideways and the other having a corresponding number of arcuate guideways, gripping aws disposed in the respective guideways of said members, driving means for-said members to rotate the can against the cutter, and automatic releasing means for holding one of said members stationary to efiect relative movement of said jaws, said arcuate guideways being so shaped and so positioned relative to said radial guideways that the inward thrust on the jaws against the can is substantially the same regardlessof the size of the can.

36. In a machine for opening cans, the combination of a relatively fixed support, a cutter, a supporting member, can holding and rotating means carried by said member, and means for readily attaching or detaching said member to said support.

PRES'LQN C. WEST. 

